Download - The True Meaning Of Easter
The True Meaning of Easter
http://walkthewok.wordpress.comAll images are copyright their respective owners.
What is Easter?
• American Heritage Dictionary– A Christian feast commemorating the
Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus’ Resurrection?
Great! Let’s celebrate!
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Ahem…
• Bunnies?
• Eggs?
• Jesus’ Resurrection?
WHERE IS THE RELATION?!?!
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PLOP!
PLOP!
BUNNIES AND EGGS???
What do they have to do with Easter?
Origins of Easter
• Comes from Ishtar, the “Mother goddess” or “Queen of heaven” in Babylon
• Other names– Jewish: Ashtaroth, Ash
toreth– Greek: Astarte– Saxons: Eastre, Eostr
e, Ostara– And many more
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Bunnies?
• Ancient symbol of fertility
• Producing babies– Wild: 40 per year– Ideal: 120 per year
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Eggs?
• Represents new life• Mystic egg of Astarte
– Gigantic egg fell from heaven
– Out popped goddess– Corrupted version of N
oah’s ark?
http://home.computer.net/~cya/cy00096.html
How did Pagan connect to Christian?
• Roman Catholic Church– Pasted “Christian” names over pagan festivals– Tried to attract heathen worshippers
Should we celebrate?
• Nothing evil about painting and hunting eggs
• What’s important is…
BIG QUESTION
Where’s your _____?
Where’s your bunny?
Where’s your bunny?
Where’s your egg?
Where’s your egg?
Where’s your focus?
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World’s Largest Easter Egg
• In Vegreville, Canada• Egg Width: 25.7 feet • Egg Height: 18.3 feet • Weight: 5,000 pounds • Not laid by bird• Not brought by a bun
ny
Where’s your focus?
• Focus more on Jesus Christ
• Egg hunts are just games for fun
Where you should focus
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4– 3 For what I received I passed on to you as
of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures
The Four Spiritual LawsWhy Jesus had to die for You and
Mehttp://www.greatcom.org/english/four.htm
1) God loves you and has plans for you
• Love– John 3:16- For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
• Plans– Jesus said in John 10:10- “I have come that
they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
2) Humans are sinful and separated from God
• Sinful– Romans 3:23- For all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
• Separated– Romans 6:23- For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3) Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin
• Only– John 14:6- Jesus said
to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
4) We must receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior
• We Must Receive Christ "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)
• We Receive Christ Through Faith "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
• We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation [Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him"(Revelation 3:20).
He is risen! His body is no longer here!
Resurrection is Crucial to Christianity
• 1 Corinthians 15:17-18– And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile;
you are still in your sins!
Resurrection Rumors
THEY ARE ALL FALSE
Rumor 1) Disciples stole the body
• Matthew 27:62-64– 62 On the next day, which followed the Day of
Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate
– 63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’
– 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”
Rumor 1) Disciples stole the body
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Rumor 1) Disciples stole the body
• The Roman soldiers were the greatest warriors on the planet– Professionals at killing people– Brave
• The disciples were fishermen– Professionals at catching fish– Cowards- Fled for their lives when Jesus was arrested
• Sealed stone• Disciples snuck underground, attacked Roman soldiers
from behind, broke seal, rolled away gigantic stone, and then took Jesus’ body? NO WAY!
Rumor 2) Wrong tomb
Rumor 2) Wrong tomb
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Rumor 2) Wrong tomb
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Rumor 2) Wrong tomb
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Rumor 2) Wrong tomb
• Matthew 27:57-61 – 57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Ar
imathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
– 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
– 59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
– 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
– 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
Rumor 2) Wrong tomb
• Looked for Jesus in the wrong tomb???
• Joseph of Arimathea was member of Sanhedrin– Group who ruled Jewish co
mmunity– He had to worship Christ at
night so others in group couldn’t see him
– Sanhedrin knew• who he was• where his tomb was
• Witnesses– Mary Magdalene and other
women saw Jesus’ burial
Rumor 3) Jesus did not really die
• Beaten till face unrecognizable• Whipped 39 times
– Cat of 9 Tails- whips with broken bones and glass shards– Ripped off flesh on back, reality is MUCH worse than shown in “Passion
of Christ”!• Crucified
– Nails in hands and feet– Did NOT bleed to death– Died by suffocation (some say by traumatic shock)
• Spear stuck into side after dead- John 19:33-35– 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead,
they did not break His legs.– 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and
immediately blood and water came out.– 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he
knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
Rumor 3) Jesus did not really die
• John 19– 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to
Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
– 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
Rumor 4) Disciples hallucinated
• People who strongly love lost ones may hallucinate
• But cannot touch
Rumor 4) Disciples hallucinated
• John 20:25-28– 25 The other disciples therefore said to [Thomas], “We have
seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
– 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
– 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
– 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Would you…
• Die for something you only thought was true?
• Lose your job for something you only thought was true?
• Give up your family for something you only thought was true?
• To do those things, you should be 100% certain
The disciples believed so strongly in Jesus’ resurrection that they
were…1. Andrew - crucified2. Bartholomew - flayed to death by whip3. James, brother of Jesus - thrown over a hundred feet, and then brains dashed out with clubs4. James, son of Zebedee - beheaded5. John - put in boiling oil, lived and later died of old age6. Judas (not Iscariot) - stoned to death7. Matthew - killed by a sword8. Peter - crucified upside-down, not worthy to die like Lord9. Philip - scourged/ flogged and crucified10. Simon - crucified11. Thomas - speared to death12. Matthias - stoned and beheaded13. Paul- tortured and beheaded
Who is Jesus?
• Claimed to be God the Son• John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” • John 10:33, “We are not stoning you for
any of these, replied the Jews, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God”
• John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
The TrilemmaSay the following out loud:
Who is Jesus to ME?
What is Trilemma?
• Wikipedia– Similar to a dilemma…
• Problem offering two solutions, neither of which is acceptable
– …with three options that a choice must be made between
– If the three options they cover all the possibilities and you can't pick more than one, then the trilemma can be resolved by eliminating two of them.
Say it out loud:Who is Jesus to ME? 3 Choices!
• 1) Liar• 2) Lunatic• 3) Lord
• Bad• Mad• God
1) Liar
• Jesus was not God, and he knew it, but he said so anyway.
• Just a…– Moral teacher– Prophet– Good man
• If true…– BAD
• Liar, hypocrite, and fool
2) Lunatic
• Jesus was not God, but he mistakenly believed that he was.
• Not light fantasy, told others eternal destiny depended on Him
• Skill, depth, and truth of teachings– Mentally sound
• If true…– MAD
3) Lord
• Jesus is God.
• He is the Christ, God the Son, as He claimed.
• If true…– GOD
Who is Jesus?
Video
S M Lockridge- Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church said “THAT’S MY KING!”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX_7j32zgNw
Who is Jesus?
• John 20:31– but these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
• Trilemma– All 3 possible– Only probable choice: Jesus is Lord
Who is Jesus?Say the following out loud:
Easter answer: The Lord and Risen King
My answer: ____________(Fill in the blank with your answer)
May God richly bless you as you seek to walk closer to Him!
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